--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua…" description: "\"“Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit - There is no book so bad that it is not profitable on some part.”\" — Pliny the Younger" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/pliny-the-younger-15981_book_nullus-est-liber-tam-malus-ut-non-aliqua_2983228.jpg" --- # Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit… ![“Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit - There is no book so bad that it is not profitable on some part.” quote by Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/pliny-the-younger-15981_book_nullus-est-liber-tam-malus-ut-non-aliqua_2983228.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/pliny-the-younger-15981_book_nullus-est-liber-tam-malus-ut-non-aliqua_2983228.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/pliny-the-younger-15981_book_nullus-est-liber-tam-malus-ut-non-aliqua_2983228.jpg) > ““Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit - There is no book so bad that it is not profitable on some part.”” [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Even a terrible book can contain some useful insight or knowledge. **In simple terms:** Bad books can still teach something. Key Takeaway Seek the useful part in any work. Themes learning critical reading value extraction Mood reflective analytical Type philosophical educational When to use this quote - studying - book clubs - research - personal growth Key Concepts Literature epistemology Questions to Reflect On - What hidden value could you find in a disliked book? - How do you decide what to keep from a bad source? A Different Perspective Not all content is equally valuable; discernment needed. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad Profitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-profitable-4024701/) [Book](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) [Book Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book-bad-1656636/) [Books](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/books/) [Malus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/malus-4649222/) [Part](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/part/) [Profitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/profitable/) [Tam Malus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tam-malus-4649223/) [Writer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writer/) ## Related quotes > [There is no book so bad that it is not profitable in some part. -Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/there-is-no-book-so-bad-that-it-is-not-profitable-in-some-part-nullus/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [ He \[Pliny the Elder\] used to say that 'no book \[etc\] was so bad but some good might be got out of it'. ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/he-pliny-the-elder-used-to-say-that-no-book-etc-was-so-bad-but-some/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [ “\[Pliny the Elder\] used to say that “no book was so bad but some good might be got out of it.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/pliny-the-elder-used-to-say-that-no-book-was-so-bad-but-some-good/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [“Yeah, I picked up a book and I read. You can get something out of a book, even a bad book ... but a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-miller/yeah-i-picked-up-a-book-and-i-read-you-can-get-something-out-of-a/) [Henry Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-miller/) > [No one ever writes a book in which he is the bad guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-rooney/no-one-ever-writes-a-book-in-which-he-is-the-bad-guy/) [Andy Rooney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-rooney/) > [There's no such thing as a good book or a bad book. There's a book that matters to a reader.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/there-s-no-such-thing-as-a-good-book-or-a-bad-book-there-s-a-book/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [“There is no book so bad it does not contain something good.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny/there-is-no-book-so-bad-it-does-not-contain-something-good/) [Pliny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny/) > [I know a movie and a book are two different things and you are going do different media in different ways. No author can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/katherine-paterson/i-know-a-movie-and-a-book-are-two-different-things-and-you-are-going/) [Katherine Paterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/katherine-paterson/) > [“so, what happened next will have to go down in my book of Bad Decisions, planted firmly in the chapter entitled, I have no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/so-what-happened-next-will-have-to-go-down-in-my-book-of-bad/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“Time spent reading a book, even a bad one, is never wasted.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stewart-stafford/time-spent-reading-a-book-even-a-bad-one-is-never-wasted/) [Stewart Stafford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stewart-stafford/) > [There is no book so bad that some good can not be got out of it,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-elder/there-is-no-book-so-bad-that-some-good-can-not-be-got-out-of-it/) [Pliny the Elder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-elder/) > [There is no book so bad...that it does not have something good in it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/there-is-no-book-so-bad-that-it-does-not-have-something-good-in-it/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I decide a book is bad if I get angrier and angrier as I read it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-t-o-hara/i-decide-a-book-is-bad-if-i-get-angrier-and-angrier-as-i-read-it/) [Daniel T. O'Hara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-t-o-hara/) > [“In order to pronounce a book bad it is not enough to discover that it elicits no good response from ourselves, for that might…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/in-order-to-pronounce-a-book-bad-it-is-not-enough-to-discover-that-it/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [A novel with a bad middle is a bad book. A bad ending is something I've just gotten in the habit of forgiving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lev-grossman/a-novel-with-a-bad-middle-is-a-bad-book-a-bad-ending-is-something-i/) [Lev Grossman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lev-grossman/) ## More by Pliny the Younger > [It is difficult to retain what you may have learned unless you should practice it. -Difficile est tenere quae acceperis nisi exerceas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/it-is-difficult-to-retain-what-you-may-have-learned-unless-you-should/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [Perhaps you will ask whether I can raise these three millions without difficulty. Well, nearly all my capital is invested in land, but I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/perhaps-you-will-ask-whether-i-can-raise-these-three-millions-without/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [Too much polishing weakens rather than improves a work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/too-much-polishing-weakens-rather-than-improves-a-work/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [Never do a thing concerning the rectitude of which you are in doubt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/never-do-a-thing-concerning-the-rectitude-of-which-you-are-in-doubt/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [They enhance the value of their favors by the words with which they are accompanied.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/they-enhance-the-value-of-their-favors-by-the-words-with-which-they/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [Everyone must be given something he can grasp and recognize as his own idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/everyone-must-be-given-something-he-can-grasp-and-recognize-as-his/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [There is no book so bad that it is not profitable in some part. -Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/there-is-no-book-so-bad-that-it-is-not-profitable-in-some-part-nullus/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [Objects which are usually the motives of our travels by land and by sea are often overlooked and neglected if they lie under our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/objects-which-are-usually-the-motives-of-our-travels-by-land-and-by/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [ “\[Pliny the Elder\] used to say that “no book was so bad but some good might be got out of it.” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/pliny-the-elder-used-to-say-that-no-book-was-so-bad-but-some-good/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [Literature is both my joy and my comfort: it can add to every happiness and there is no sorrow it cannot console.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/literature-is-both-my-joy-and-my-comfort-it-can-add-to-every/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [“nulla dies sine linea.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/nulla-dies-sine-linea/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [Let us strive the more earnestly therefore to lengthen out our span of life-- life that is poured out like water and falls as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/let-us-strive-the-more-earnestly-therefore-to-lengthen-out-our-span/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [“The smallest evil if neglected, will reach the greatest proportions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/the-smallest-evil-if-neglected-will-reach-the-greatest-proportions/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [“Glory ought to be the consequence, not the motive, of our actions; and although it happen not to attend the worthy deed, yet it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/glory-ought-to-be-the-consequence-not-the-motive-of-our-actions-and/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) > [The highest of characters is his who is as ready to pardon the moral errors of mankind as if he were every day guilty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/the-highest-of-characters-is-his-who-is-as-ready-to-pardon-the-moral/) [Pliny the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) [Explore all 40 Pliny the Younger quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/) ## More Book quotes > [I think a new world will arise out of the religious mists when we approach our Bible with the idea that it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aiden-wilson-tozer/i-think-a-new-world-will-arise-out-of-the-religious-mists-when-we/) [Aiden Wilson Tozer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aiden-wilson-tozer/) > [If I had a dollar for every time I couldn’t sleep, I could buy a billion locks and finally read a book in peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aesop-rock/if-i-had-a-dollar-for-every-time-i-couldn-t-sleep-i-could-buy-a/) [Aesop Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aesop-rock/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [The Rosary is the book of the blind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fulton-j-sheen/the-rosary-is-the-book-of-the-blind/) [Fulton J. Sheen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fulton-j-sheen/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I don't think I have made as much of my life as I should have. I should have written more books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/i-don-t-think-i-have-made-as-much-of-my-life-as-i-should-have-i/) [Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-m-schlesinger-jr/) > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [“People talk about books that write themselves, and it's a lie. Books don't write themselves. It takes thought and research and a backache and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/people-talk-about-books-that-write-themselves-and-it-s-a-lie-books/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [There are great books in this world and great worlds in books.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-bronte/there-are-great-books-in-this-world-and-great-worlds-in-books/) [Anne Bronte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-bronte/) > [The purpose of this book is to supply, in the form suitable for laymen, guidance in the adoption and execution of an investment policy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-graham/the-purpose-of-this-book-is-to-supply-in-the-form-suitable-for-laymen/) [Benjamin Graham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-graham/) > [But I think that of all the literature that I studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kwame-nkrumah/but-i-think-that-of-all-the-literature-that-i-studied-the-book-that/) [Kwame Nkrumah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kwame-nkrumah/) > [It's amazing to see things that are suggested in the book fully developed and so brilliantly realized through the artistry of the designers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/it-s-amazing-to-see-things-that-are-suggested-in-the-book-fully/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [“But I’ve developed a great reputation for wisdom by ordering more books than I ever had time to read, and reading more books, by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marilynne-robinson/but-i-ve-developed-a-great-reputation-for-wisdom-by-ordering-more/) [Marilynne Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marilynne-robinson/) [Browse all 29,378 Book quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/book/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit - There is no book so bad that it is not profitable on some part.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Pliny the Younger" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/nullus-est-liber-tam-malus-ut-non-aliqua-parte-prosit-there-is-no/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Book" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/nullus-est-liber-tam-malus-ut-non-aliqua-parte-prosit-there-is-no/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/pliny-the-younger-15981_book_nullus-est-liber-tam-malus-ut-non-aliqua_2983228.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/pliny-the-younger-15981_book_nullus-est-liber-tam-malus-ut-non-aliqua_2983228.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/636/pliny-the-younger-15981_book_nullus-est-liber-tam-malus-ut-non-aliqua_2983228.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Nullus est liber tam malus ut non aliqua parte prosit - There is no book so bad that it is not profitable on…” — Pliny the Younger", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Pliny the Younger", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pliny-the-younger/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Nullus est liber tam malus ut...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/nullus-est-liber-tam-malus-ut-non-aliqua-parte-prosit-there-is-no/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pliny-the-younger/nullus-est-liber-tam-malus-ut-non-aliqua-parte-prosit-there-is-no/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```